This is a new tradition where they bring back a group of Hall of Fame members and 20 other All-Star players for a weekend of activity highlighted by an exhibition game on Father’s Day. While our trip to Cooperstown was way too eventful, we had a fantastic weekend. Here’s what I remember most:

Making A Grand Entrance: Promptly at 9 a.m. the doors opened and an employee came out. He loudly proclaimed, “The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is now open.” I felt like Charlie Bucket getting ready to tour Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory after it had been shut down for 15 years. The employee then greeted everyone individually: “Where are you from? Who’s your team?” “Oh Boston Red Sox, don’t miss Schilling’s bloody sock on the third floor.”

MVP and Cy: My Dad was invited to a Spring Training with the Phillies as a high school player and I was born in Philadelphia so I spent the most time at the exhibits about Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and the 1980 Phillies. In fact, Dad and I wore Schmidt and Carlton jerseys and recreated the poster Nike commissioned after their World Series win.
Go Big or Go Home: Cooperstown is only a 2,000 person town so there are limited options for overnight accommodations. Since I got a late start in planning the weekend, everything within 15 miles was sold-out except for the town’s resort hotel, the Otesaga. It was expensive, but the view of the lake and convenience to the Hall of Fame was amazing.

We ate dinner by Dave Henderson and Reggie Sanders and rode up in the elevators with Ozzie Smith, Andre Dawson and Goose Gossage at different times. My Dad did have to cut his conversation with Goose short once the elevator got too crowded and his claustrophobia kicked in. And while we splurged on the hotel, we did save by buying leftover “Cooperstown 2008 Road Trip” t-shirts for $5 instead of the 2011 version for $20.

A Tiger Can Change His Stripes: Saturday afternoon there was an event called “Voices of the Game” where six Hall of Famers (Andre Dawson, Phil Niekro, Jim Rice, Ozzie Smith, Goose Gossage and Dick Williams–pictured left) participated in a question and answer session. Funny stories had the crowd laughing but I was more entertained by my Dad. Apparently he was no longer content to be a wallflower so he ran to the front to submit a question. Later he volunteered for a media interview with a local newspaper about the weekend and ended up in the lead of the story.

Everyone Loves A Parade: Before Sunday’s game, the players participated in a parade down Main Street. I was wearing my Steve Carlton jersey when Rick Wise yelled out to me “Hey, I was traded for you.” Wise (best known for pitching a no hitter the same game he hit two homers) had been dealt from the Phillies to the Cardinals for the Steve Carlton in 1972.

Play Ball: My Dad and I sat in the right field stands for the exhibition game. The starting outfield on this beautiful 74 degree day was Dale Murphy, Willie Wilson and Jim Rice. Ozzie Smith led off the game by doubling off of Phil Niekro right in front of us. The game winning hit was a three run Dmitri Young home run off of Bill Lee who lived up to his “Spaceman” nickname playing the game with an early 1900s era glove that wasn’t any bigger than a ski mitten.

Do You Know Who I Am?: After the game, my Dad and I were relaxing in the hotel lobby when we saw Dale Murphy go to the front desk in his full uniform because his room key wasn’t working. Without any identification, he turned his back to the hotel worker to show his uniform that said “Murphy.” Apparently that was as good as a driver’s license and Dale was on his way with a new key after stopping to sign a few autographs.

While it’s tough to beat Father-Son trips to the Masters, World Series and Final Four, our Father’s Day Classic Hall of Fame weekend was as special to me as any of those (click here to view our photo album). Some of that is because baseball has always been such a big part of our lives. But most of it is attributed to the fact that the focus of the weekend was on the time we spent together and not a singular event.

I’ll keep that in mind as we plan our next trip. Suggestions are appreciated especially if it’s something we can book soon. I don’t want to wait another three years in between trips.